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en'We have to put it right' - Jones frustrated as United lose another late leadManchester United have already dropped seven points in the last 10 minutes of matches, frustrating Phil Jones.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/we-have-put-it-right-jones-frustrated-united-lose-another-late-lead
Phil Jones acknowledges Manchester United have a problem with conceding late goals after Everton salvaged a dramatic 1-1 draw at Goodison Park.
United led until the 89th minute on Sunday after in-form Zlatan Ibrahimovic's audacious first-half lob, his sixth goal from five matches in all competitions.
It looked as if that would prove to be decisive until substitute Marouane Fellaini - on his 100th appearance for the club - brought down Idrissa Gueye in the area, allowing Leighton Baines to score from 12 yards.
United have now won only two of their last 11 top-flight matches and dropped seven points by conceding goals in the last 10 minutes of their games.
7 - Manchester United have dropped seven points from goals conceded in the last 10 minutes of PL games this season, a league high. Sloppy.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) 4 December 2016
"I think we controlled game from start to maybe the 60th minute," Jones told Sky Sports.
"They played long balls and had a few half chances with Kevin Mirallas - other than that we defended well and did not allow as many chances as the last games.
"But we are losing too many points, [late goals are] a common trend and we have to put it right."
Asked for the reasons behind United's late collapses, Jones replied: "Maybe lack of concentration, fatigue - it is too many times, four or five times we have completely dominated and not won. It has happened again.
"You are away at Everton, it's a difficult place to come, they play direct and it is difficult to defend, but we were resilient until we gave the penalty away.
"It is a points-based game and we are not getting enough."
news_articleSun, 04 Dec 2016 18:35:46 +0000Anonymous659357 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comMourinho had Jones concernsEven Jose Mourinho questioned whether Phil Jones could recapture his best form for Manchester United.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/mourinho-had-jones-concerns
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho feared defender Phil Jones would never return to his best form due to his injury struggles.
Jones, 24, is set to start his fourth consecutive game when United host West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday.
But even Mourinho felt the centre-back would find it hard to recapture his best after a 2015-16 campaign during which he played just 10 league games and had a knee injury earlier this season.
"His condition looks very good and his confidence is improving," the Portuguese tactician told UK newspapers.
"Phil is playing really well, no mistakes in 90 minutes, and I'm really happy for him because so many people had him down as injury prone and believed it would be hard for him to get back to his best level.
"I have to confess that when he was injured again at the beginning of the season even I was feeling that fear but he has put in some great performances in the past weeks to give us the stability we need after losing [Eric] Bailly and [Chris] Smalling."
In an era during which playing out from the back is considered vital, Mourinho enjoys simply seeing Jones defend.
He said: "He likes to defend as a defender.
"Sometimes defenders now think the most important quality is to build from the back.
"That is not the most important quality. The most important quality is to defend."
news_articleSun, 27 Nov 2016 00:10:05 +0000Anonymous656266 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comJones hails Mourinho's 'honest' approachJose Mourinho talks to the press as he does to the players, and that honesty is truly refreshing, Manchester United's Phil Jones has said.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/jones-hails-mourinhos-honest-approach
Manchester United defender Phil Jones has hailed Jose Mourinho's honest approach to the media and his squad.
Mourinho enjoyed arguably the best match of his spell at Old Trafford to date on Thursday, as United swept aside Europa League opponents Feyenoord with a 4-0 win at Old Trafford.
The former Chelsea boss has found himself at loggerheads with the media at times this season, most recently refusing to discuss the fitness of defender Chris Smalling as a result of conflicting reports over a rumoured toe injury.
Meanwhile, the Portuguese has called some of his players' application into question in public, suggesting Smalling and Luke Shaw were not brave enough to play through the pain barrier against Swansea City and urging star signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan to do more to win his place in the side.
But Jones, who has started United's last three games after shaking off fitness worries, says a forthright approach from the manager is vital.
Asked if Mourinho is the same with his players as he is with the press, Jones said: "He's exactly the same. He's honest, and that's all you can ask for as a player.
"Players need to know when they've done right and wrong and he does that.
"He always gave me confidence. I felt good in training and he's given me the chances I wanted."
Jones' future at United was called into question when Mourinho took charge and he was linked with a possible move to Arsenal and Stoke City during the transfer window.
However, when asked if there was anything concrete to the rumours, the 24-year-old said: "No, definitely not. One hundred per cent no."
Indeed, Jones is now focused on stringing together performances at the heart of the United defence - something Mourinho said he had not managed to do for a number of years due to injuries.
"I need to look after myself but I'm just delighted to be back playing and in the dressing room," he said.
United's win over Feyenoord means they need just a draw against Zorya Luhansk to secure their place in the knockout phase, and Jones was thrilled to take all three points after three consecutive league draws at home in which they have been punished for not killing off the encounter.
"We found it a bit difficult first half to break them down and didn't really stop them playing out as well as we could have," he said. "But once we got to grips with that, it was only a matter of time until we scored again and killed the game.
"Against Stoke, Burnley, Arsenal... it's important once we're ahead to kill games off and that's the next step that we need to get to. We need to learn that quick because we can't keep doing it [letting leads slip away].
"It's difficult when you concede a last-minute goal but you've got to keep going, you can't dwell on it.
"Since the manager's come in, he's done brilliant and the players are enjoying playing football. We just need to win more games. We've got a good result and now we need to finish it off against Zorya."
news_articleFri, 25 Nov 2016 12:00:00 +0000Anonymous655566 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comWorld-class Rooney will take United record, says JonesWayne Rooney needs one goal to draw level with Bobby Charlton's Manchester United record, and Phil Jones hopes he gets it against West Ham.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/world-class-rooney-will-take-united-record-says-jones
Manchester United defender Phil Jones has backed "world-class" Wayne Rooney to make history for the club against West Ham on Sunday.
The club captain became their all-time top scorer in European competition when bagged his 39th continental goal in Thursday's 4-0 win over Feyenoord at Old Trafford.
Rooney, who also set up Juan Mata's strike, produced arguably his best performance of the season and went some way towards silencing critics of his form in recent months.
Jones was delighted to see the 31-year-old reach his latest milestone and wants him to find the net against West Ham in order to draw level with Bobby Charlton's club record of 249 goals.
"I'm buzzing for him," he said. "He's a world-class player, has been for many years, and he's a legend of the club. I'm delighted for him. I hope he scores in the first minute on Sunday!"
Rooney hit out at the media following scrutiny of his form and the publication of pictures showing him partying at a wedding reception in the hours following England's World Cup qualifying win over Scotland.
Jones, however, says such attention has followed Rooney for years and does not affect him behind the scenes.
"It's been difficult for him but it's water off a duck's back for him, he's dealt with it throughout his career," he said. "He's shown it doesn't bother him and put in a good performance."
Another to impress in United's win was Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who produced a lively display and was substituted to a standing ovation after making only his second start under Mourinho.
"I thought he did well," was Jones' assessment. "You can see his technical ability on the ball and he's got wonderful feet, can see a pass and plays those little one-twos around the corner. He's a great player for us.
"He's just been working hard [in training], as every player should do, and he's done well."
news_articleFri, 25 Nov 2016 12:00:00 +0000Anonymous655571 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comMkhitaryan hopes for new start at Manchester UnitedManchester United's win over Feyenoord featured a strong display from Henrikh Mkhitaryan - and the Armenian is hoping for a new start.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/mkhitaryan-hopes-new-start-manchester-united
Henrikh Mkhitaryan is hoping to be given a new start at Manchester United after playing a key role in their 4-0 Europa League win over Feyenoord at Old Trafford.
Mkhitaryan was named in the starting XI for only the second time since his July arrival from Borussia Dortmund and gave a performance that featured six shots and three chances created as United took a huge step towards the knockout stages.
The Armenia international has been out of favour under manager Jose Mourinho but believes his lively showing on Thursday could act as a fresh beginning.
"It was a pleasure to play again and start the game," Mkhitaryan told BT Sport.
"I try to do my best and it's a very good result.
"It has been difficult to watch the team from the sidelines but you have to have passion and work hard.
"I hope it is a new start for me."
Phil Jones made his third successive appearance for United and the centre-back explained how the team's pressing game was key to their impressive victory.
"It was a tough game, especially in the first half," Jones told MUTV. "They pressed us well and created a good chance that they could have scored from.
"But I think we played better in the second half, we were more aggressive in our pressing and we got the four goals. It was a good performance in the end.
"I think it was just a matter of time and not allowing them to play out from the back.
"Once we did that, you saw in the second half in the chances we created we caused them all sorts of problems."
news_articleThu, 24 Nov 2016 23:05:55 +0000Anonymous655380 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comJones ready to stake United claimAfter barely kicking a ball for 10 months, Phil Jones has set his sights on becoming Manchester United's first-choice centre back.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/jones-ready-stake-united-claim
Phil Jones is ready to put his injury nightmare behind him and focus on becoming a regular starter under Jose Mourinho at Manchester United.
The central defender has endured a torrid 10 months that has seen him barely feature in competitive action for United due to knee and ankle injuries.
He made his long-awaited return against Swansea City before the international break and completed the full 90 minutes in Saturday's 1-1 draw against Arsenal in the Premier League - his first Old Trafford appearance since January 2.
Jones produced a composed display that was only spoiled by Olivier Giroud's late leveller for the Gunners, but the 24-year-old was still able to find the positives after an "awful" time on the sidelines.
"It was great, personally, for me," he told United's official website. "It's been a difficult period for me. It is good to be back in the fold and playing again.
"It [being injured] is awful but as a footballer you can't feel sorry for yourself, go into a little hole and never come out of your home. You have got to go about your day as you would normally, work hard in training and I have worked to get back to where I am now. I want to stay here and I want to play more games.
"I have worked hard on my fitness, it has been tough mentally for me and it has been so frustrating. I can't put into words how frustrating it has been, but that is behind me and I want to move forward to play as many games as I can."
Jones revealed he was ready for a first-team return before the trip to the Liberty Stadium on November 6, but had to be patient to ensure he did not suffer a relapse.
He added: "I wanted to make sure that I was 100 per cent right going into the first game.
"I was fit for a good few weeks before the Swansea game with training, and it was the training that I needed, but you can never replicate the game. Training and games are two different things.
"The Premier League is so quick and sharp these days. It is games that I need and hopefully I can keep getting them.
"I am ready to play but I think I have also got to look after myself as well and think right. If I do feel something then I am honest, but I am ready, I am fit and ready to play.
"I am just focusing on game to game, playing football, doing what I love doing and I will go from there."
news_articleMon, 21 Nov 2016 11:59:54 +0000Anonymous653698 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comMourinho cannot recall Jones' last good runPhil Jones may be pressed into service for Manchester United against Fenerbahce, with Jose Mourinho struggling to recall his last good run.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/mourinho-cannot-recall-jones-last-good-run
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho cannot remember when injury-hit defender Phil Jones last enjoyed a strong run of performances.
Mourinho conceded he may have to include Jones, who has been named in the squad to face Fenerbahce after recovering from a knee ligament injury, in Thursday's Europa League clash due to the absences of Antonio Valencia, Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling.
Jones has not featured in a competitive game since January and his rotten luck with injuries has left Mourinho struggling to recall when the centre-back was last in form.
The Portuguese told a media conference: "I almost don't remember when Phil Jones had a good run of matches for United. I remember that, when I was at Real Madrid, I played against Man United and Phil Jones played in Madrid. I don't remember many occasions after that.
"He's having a difficult relationship with injuries but he worked hard to recover, he's training with the team for more than a week now.
"We're in a difficult situation because we lost three defenders in Valencia, Bailly and Smalling. We don't have more time to be in better condition so we have to select him and maybe we have to play him."
Mourinho has been vehement in his stance that United should always be in the Champions League but, with a place in the group stage of Europe's premier club competition next season on offer for the Europa League winners, he does see the value of competing in the secondary tournament.
"My opinion changed because the rules changed and Europa League winner has a direct spot for the Champions League, so for the last few years for the big clubs it has a different meaning. It's another way to qualify for the Champions League," he added.
"The big clubs belong to the Champions League and the Champions League belongs to their history. I don't change my perspective on that."
Valencia is sidelined because of a broken arm, but Mourinho has faith in Matteo Darmian, who replaced the Ecuador international at right-back in last weekend's 0-0 draw with Burnley.
Mourinho said: "Valencia's a bad injury, he has an important fracture in his arm and surgery, too. He'll be out for a while. But the good thing is that, even when Antonio was playing very well, we were preparing Darmian.
"He played Feyenoord, Zorya Luhansk, Fenerbahce. In the last match, we had to play Darmian for the first time in the Premier League, he was ready to answer, playing really well. So we trust him completely."
Darmian expressed sympathy for his injured team-mate, saying: "Of course, I work a lot in the first part of the season and have to be ready when the manager gives me an opportunity.
"I feel sorry for Antonio for his injury. We wait on his recovery and I hope he can come back as soon as possible."
news_articleWed, 02 Nov 2016 17:31:40 +0000Anonymous646032 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comMkhitaryan in United party for FenerbahceJose Mourinho has included Henrikh Mkhitaryan in his Manchester United squad to face Fenerbahce, while Phil Jones also returns.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/mkhitaryan-united-party-fenerbahce
Henrikh Mkhitaryan could return from his Manchester United exile after being named in Jose Mourinho's squad for the Europa League trip to Fenerbahce.
Mkhitaryan has become a peripheral figure at Old Trafford since joining from Borussia Dortmund during the close season and last featured for the first team in the 2-1 derby loss to Manchester City in September, when he was substituted at half-time.
But the Armenia international is in the travelling party to Istanbul alongside injury plagued defender Phil Jones, who is yet to feature this term.
Anthony Martial is set to feature in attack and Zlatan Ibrahimovic may have the chance to address his recent goal drought, but Chris Smalling is absent once more, with Michael Carrick, Memphis Depay and Antonio Valencia all remaining in Manchester.
Bastian Schweinsteiger enjoyed a thaw in his relations with Mourinho this week as he returned to first-team training but the ex-Germany captain does not travel as he was not named in United's playing squad for the Europa League.
The 20-time English champions are level on six points in Group A with Feyenoord, who beat them 1-0 in September, while Fenerbahce are two points further back following a 4-1 thrashing at Old Trafford last time out.
news_articleWed, 02 Nov 2016 10:16:04 +0000Anonymous645872 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comMourinho confirms latest Jones setbackPhil Jones suffered the latest setback of an injury ravaged spell after the Man United man was ruled out with medial knee ligament damage.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/mourinho-confirms-latest-jones-setback
Manchester United defender Phil Jones is set for a month on the sidelines with medial knee ligament damage.
United boss Jose Mourinho confirmed the news while addressing the media ahead of Thursday's Europa League opener against Feyenoord.
The 24-year-old did not travel to Rotterdam after suffering the latest injury setback of a tough period for the England international.
Jones was restricted to 16 appearances for club and country last season and is yet to feature under Mourinho, with Eric Bailly and Daley Blind starting all United's competitive matches as the centre-back pairing so far this term.
news_articleWed, 14 Sep 2016 17:57:25 +0000Anonymous626826 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comRooney left out of Manchester United squad for Feyenoord clashWayne Rooney has been left out of Manchester United's squad to face Feyenoord, along with Antonio Valencia and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/rooney-left-out-manchester-united-squad-feyenoord-clash
Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has been left out of the squad for the Europa League clash with Feyenoord on Thursday.
England's record goalscorer has not been included in the 20-man party that is due to fly to Rotterdam on Wednesday, despite taking part in full training.
Antonio Valencia and Luke Shaw have also been left out, along with midfield duo Jesse Lingard and Henrikh Mkhitaryan - both of whom were substituted at half-time of Saturday's 2-1 defeat to Manchester City at Old Trafford.
Mkhitaryan did not train in the final session before United's departure, and is still battling to recover full fitness after damaging a thigh muscle while on international duty with Armenia this month.
Defender Phil Jones, who is yet to make an appearance this season, remains sidelined.
Manager Jose Mourinho is expected to rotate his side for the meeting with the Eredivisie giants, with Marcus Rashford and Memphis Depay among the players likely to start.
news_articleWed, 14 Sep 2016 13:19:22 +0000Anonymous626682 at http://www.fourfourtwo.com11 out-of-favour Premier League stars in line for moves before the window closesMost footballers wants regular playing time (whats that, Richard Wright?), and this lot are no different. Greg Lea looks at some of the Premier League stars who could be switching clubs before the end of the monthGreg Leahttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/11-out-favour-premier-league-stars-line-moves-window-closes
1. Ashley Young, Manchester United
After five years at Manchester United,Young could be on his way out of Old Trafford in the coming days –Jose Mourinho is yet to use him in the Premier League this season. The ex-Aston Villa winger, who was deployed at full-back and up front by Louis van Gaal at various points last term, is now 31 and could be tempted by a transfer if it came with a guarantee of regular playing time. Crystal Palace were linked with Young a few weeks back and could yet renew their interest, while there are a host of other top-flight sides who would benefit from adding the former England international to their ranks.
Young scores against Newcastle
2. Joe Hart, Manchester City
England’s No.1 could become Manchester City’s No.3 if he opts to remain at the Etihad Stadium, with Barcelona’s Claudio Bravo set to join Willy Caballero in front of Hart in the pecking order. The 29-year-old’s distribution seems to be the sticking point with Pep Guardiola; given that the former Bayern Munich boss won’t be going anywhere for a while, Hart should consider his options elsewhere. Everton have reportedly withdrawn their interest but Sevilla continue to be linked, while other clubs from across Europe are likely to join the race for his signature before the end of the month.
Where next for Joe Hart? 5 destinations examined
3. Juan Cuadrado, Chelsea
The appointment of Antonio Conte at Stamford Bridge appeared to serve as a reprieve for Cuadrado, who was a perennial transfer target of the Italian’s during his time in charge of Juventus. Instead, the Colombian winger has supposedly been told he’s free to leave west London, with Serie A champions Juve keen to bring him back to Turin after a successful loan spell at the club last season.
4. Mario Balotelli, Liverpool
It’s strange to think now that Balotelli was once one of the most promising young strikers on the continent. His £16m move to Liverpool two years ago was nothing short of a disaster, while the Italian also failed to impress for most of his season-long loan at boyhood club Milan in 2015/16. All of which has left Balotelli in limbo, unwanted by his current employers and seemingly unattractive to prospective new ones. Someone may opt to take a punt on him before the window closes, however, particularly if Liverpool are willing to sanction a cut-price departure.
5. Nacer Chadli, Tottenham
Chadli didn’t even make the substitutes’ bench in either of Tottenham’s opening Premier League fixtures against Everton and Crystal Palace, with his three-year spell at White Hart Lane potentially nearing an end. The Belgian has never really managed to establish himself as a key player in north London, but that hasn’t put Swansea or Borussia Dortmund off according to reports, and it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the 27-year-old leave the club before the end of next week, particularly as Marseille wideman Georges-Kevin Nkoudou seems set to join Spurs.
6. Gokhan Inler, Leicester
Inler was viewed as Esteban Cambiasso’s replacement when he signed for Leicester last summer, but things didn’t quite work out as planned: the Switzerland international played second fiddle to Danny Drinkwater and N’Golo Kante all year, appearing for only 195 minutes in the top flight as he only just about qualified for a Premier League winner’s medal. Inler’s still not in Claudio Ranieri’s plans despite the sale of Kante, meaning a parting of ways seems inevitable.
7. Phil Jones, Manchester United
Once tipped by Sir Alex Ferguson as a player with potential to become Manchester United’s greatest player of all-time, Jones could be for the chop this month. Stoke are thought to be one of the clubs interested in capturing the 24-year-old, whose career has stagnated in the last couple of years. Injuries certainly haven’t helped, but Jones’s more recent performances make Ferguson’s prediction seem even more baffling than it did at the time.
Jones scores against West Brom
8. Lazar Markovic, Liverpool
Markovic is still awaiting his first Liverpool appearance under Jurgen Klopp, which doesn’t exactly bode well for his future on Merseyside. Milan are thought to want the winger at San Siro and Lazio have also been spoken about as a potential destination, although it’s not really clear how much Liverpool will ask buying clubs to stump up: recouping the £20m they paid for the Serb two years ago would be a big ask, but the Reds were adamant that they would only sell Christian Benteke for a similar figure to the one they bought him for.
9. Loic Remy, Chelsea
The fact that Remy saw so little action even in Chelsea’s worst season in two decades – the Frenchman started just three Premier League matches – says everything about his position at the club. Although an injury to either Diego Costa or Michy Batshuayi could see the 29-year-old thrust back into the first-team picture, it’s likely to be another campaign on the sidelines for Remy if he opts to remain at Stamford Bridge. A move away – either on a permanent or temporary basis – would be sensible for all parties.
10. Yaya Toure, Manchester City
Toure’s predicament at Manchester City has been overshadowed by Hart’s, but the midfielder who worked with Guardiola at Barcelona doesn’t appear to have much of a future at the Etihad Stadium either. It’s difficult to see which European clubs would be both interested in signing the 33-year-old and able to match his current pay packet, a situation which could see Toure hotfoot it to MLS or the Chinese Super League.
11. Serge Gnabry, Arsenal
In his youth team days at Arsenal, explosive wideman Gnabry was a cut above the rest.Indeed, he impressed when given first-team opportunities by Arsene Wenger, particularly in 2013/14 when he made nine first-team appearances in the Premier League and grabbed his first goal at Swansea. A shiny five-year contract was just reward– but then injury woes struck. The German was loaned out to West Brom last season but managed only three appearances in all competitions before being recalled in January. He's now back fit again, having scored six goals in as many games at the Olympics, and desperate for a club who'll give him regular minutes.
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featureThu, 25 Aug 2016 11:20:13 +0000Greg Lea618504 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comHughes confirms Stoke interest in Manchester United defender JonesManchester United defender Phil Jones is one of a number of players interesting Stoke City boss Mark Hughes.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/hughes-confirms-stoke-interest-manchester-united-defender-jones
Mark Hughes has confirmed Stoke City have made an enquiry for Manchester United defender Phil Jones but a protracted move for Saido Berahino continues to prove problematic.
Hughes, speaking ahead of Stoke's trip to Everton on Saturday, revealed the Potters are actively pursuing several targets prior to the transfer window's closure next Wednesday.
He told reporters at his news conference: "A lot of people would be surprised by the number of players we have made enquiries about.
"I can assure everyone we have been active in the market. It's one of those windows. It might go down to deadline day.
"We've talked about a lot of players, too many to list to be honest. Phil Jones is a player with good pedigree at a good club and sometimes you make an enquiry just to see where the land lies."
Hughes hinted he was becoming frustrated with his attempts to snare West Brom striker Berahino, adding: "We are quite a way down the line with that. You have to let these things run their course and give them the time they deserve.
"Some deals just go on and on and you get to the point where you have to move on. There's been deals where we have made decisions to do that.
"We still have a view something may happen, but are close to the point where we move on and look at alternatives."
Stoke have taken one point from their opening two Premier League games - a 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough and a 4-1 defeat at home to Manchester City - and Hughes is excited at the challenge facing his team against an Everton team now managed by Ronald Koeman.
He added: "He's a top-class manager with experience across Europe. He did a great job at Southampton, moving them forward in difficult circumstances.
"They brought in players and sold them in at a big profit. It's worked for them but it's difficult for the manager. He was able to still make them competitive.
"It's a different challenge at Everton. He has a strong group of players anyway and I'm sure he'll want to add to the quality.
"You'd imagine there will be changes ahead of them and it's how they manage those changes. He's a good manager and he was a fantastic player. Going up against him as a player or manager is a challenge."
news_articleThu, 25 Aug 2016 10:47:58 +0000Anonymous618556 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comStoke confirm Jones interestManchester United defender Phil Jones could be set for a move to Stoke City, who are interested in his services.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/stoke-confirm-jones-interest
Stoke City are interested in Manchester United defender Phil Jones as assistant Mark Bowen said "something may happen".
Jones, 24, has been riddled by injuries throughout his career and appears set for a battle to earn a regular place at United.
Mark Hughes is believed to be keen to bring Jones to the club and Bowen confirmed there was a level of interest.
"I remember Sam Allardyce talking about him when he broke through and said he was the new Duncan Edwards," he told the Stoke Sentinel.
"He did well as a youngster, got the big move, but it hasn't worked out for him there. I don't know how close we are or how far down the line it's gone.
"He's played the majority of his career at centre half, but in his younger days he went into midfield as well.
"I don't know what's gone wrong, but he's gone from even a player Fergie [Alex Ferguson] was talking about as being someone who could have been one of the greats.
"But we have a bit of reputation for bringing players like that into this set up and then thriving. Fingers crossed, something may happen."
Jones managed just 10 Premier League appearances last season and was left out of the squad for United's two opening wins of this campaign.
news_articleTue, 23 Aug 2016 01:51:50 +0000Anonymous617489 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comJones: West Ham our defining momentPhil Jones says Manchester United's clash with West Ham is the team's defining moment of the season.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/jones-west-ham-our-defining-moment
Manchester United defender Phil Jones says the FA Cup quarter-final replay against West Ham is his side's biggest game of the season.
Jones has endured a mixed season himself, with the England international suffering an injury-hit campaign as United look set to miss out on a top-four spot and Champions League football next season.
But the defender says his team can gain some kind of redemption from their season by moving into the semi-finals of the FA Cup at Wembley.
"It's another massive game on Wednesday," Jones said.
"It's probably a defining moment in our season - so we need to make sure we win that game and that we're at Wembley.
"It's been a difficult season. For the 60 minutes against Spurs last weekend I thought we looked comfortable, but then they score three quick goals and we're out of the game.
"We've got to concentrate on West Ham now. It's a massive game at Upton Park and we have got to win - we have got to."
Anything other than victory would consign United's season as another to forget, regardless of what follows in the Premier League.
Jones and Co. have failed to win any silverware since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and he admits the club have not lived up to expectations since the Scot's departure.
The FA Cup in particular has evaded United's grasp since 2004.
"That is an even bigger incentive for everyone to get our hands on some silverware. It has been difficult at times. Hopefully we can achieve it," Jones said.
"We are feeling it. Trust me, there is no-one more disappointed than the dressing room.
"We know we have to excite the fans, play attractive football and win games. We all want the same thing. We all need to pull in the right direction - starting at West Ham.
"The lads will be disappointed. They will be gutted with the result and the way we conceded so quickly.
"Wednesday is the defining moment of our season. We have to go to West Ham, play well and beat them."
news_articleWed, 13 Apr 2016 00:59:05 +0000Anonymous558620 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comVan Gaal forecasts Rooney returnWayne Rooney is not ready to play for Manchester United against Tottenham but the captain will be back soon, according to Louis van Gaal.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/van-gaal-forecasts-rooney-return
Louis van Gaal says captain Wayne Rooney is back in training but not ready to play for Manchester United's first team as the manager grapples with a welcome selection problem.
Rooney, who has been out of action since February 13 with a knee problem, will not feature against Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday.
Instead, the 30-year-old forward must play with United's development side as he seeks to regain match sharpness ahead of the final weeks of the league season and Euro 2016.
"He's playing for the Under-21s," Van Gaal told a news conference on Friday.
"His recovery is going very well.
"He has trained with us two times, but he has to build up his fitness."
Long-term absentees Ashley Young (groin) and Phil Jones (ankle/foot) are also back in contention but are unlikely to feature against Spurs at White Hart Lane.
"Yes, they are more or less fit players but you cannot be fit after one game at a lower level," Van Gaal said.
"We have a big squad now, we are training with 26 people and we have to adapt to that new situation again, but it is very promising now."
United's frequent injury problems this season have forced Van Gaal to introduce the likes of academy graduates Marcus Rashford and Timothy Fosu-Mensah, leaving the Dutch manager with a challenge to keep his squad happy as more established players return from the sidelines.
"There was a time when I could select only the fit players, but now with all the youngsters who have proven they are capable of playing, and all those coming back, I have a bigger squad," he said.
"I have said to my players you have to help your colleagues who are not selected and a lot of players are not selected for the first team or sit on the bench."
Tottenham, second in the table and desperate to keep pace with leaders Leicester, go into Sunday's game in the unfamiliar role of title challengers.
United, though, are not short of motivation, with local rivals Manchester City just one point ahead of them in the fourth and final Champions League qualifying berth.
"We still have to close a gap of one point, so we must win," Van Gaal said.
news_articleFri, 08 Apr 2016 15:53:47 +0000Anonymous556626 at http://www.fourfourtwo.com